Digital Commons Network^™

They've Come A Long Way Since P.L. 94-142: Standards-Based Instruction And Its Impact On Increasing School Attendance Rates For Students With Disabilities, Lywinda Anne Siegler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with disabilities have a higher rate of missed days of school as compared to their nondisabled peers. This dissertation will examine the effect Standards-based Instruction has on the school attendance rates of children with disabilities. The purpose is to determine whether rates of attendance will increase for students with disabilities who receive standards-based instruction over the period of the 2003 -2004, 2004 -2005, and 2006-2007 school years. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania implemented standards in mathematics and reading, writing, speaking, and listening in 1999. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has 500 public school districts. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has designated …

Ozy : Portrait Of A Record Dealer, Eric Feldman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Lived-Experiences Of Clinical Supervisors In Rural Mental Health Settings, Lauren Kuhn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Supervision is an essential component to the counseling field and is a distinct intervention (Bernard & Goodyear, 2004). The primary purpose of supervision is to enhance a counselor's professional development and ensure client welfare. The role of a supervisor carries a tremendous amount of professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities. Therefore, supervisors require specific training, skills, and knowledge related to the provision of mental health services in rural areas in order to provide quality supervision services. The intent of this study is to provide a rich description of the supervisor's experience of supervision in the rural context and its effect on …

The Effects Of A Discourse Community Model On Promoting Intentional Conceptual Change To Increase Understanding Of School Climate And Its Importance, David Parker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Framed within intentional conceptual change theory, this study looked at the effects of a discourse community model on promoting intentional conceptual change to increase understanding of school climate and its importance. A highly-motivated group of 11 teachers from one elementary school participated in this discourse community designed to promote an intentional conceptual change regarding school climate. Initial interviews, artifact collection, and journal responses were the methods of data collection. Within the discourse community setting, the teachers interacted with a series of activities and discussions to construct new knowledge pertaining to school climate. Themes and patterns of climate understanding emerged and …

An Empirical Study Of The Influence Of Social Networking On The Transfer Of Tacit Knowledge And Job Performance, Mark Schur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research and consultant work has surfaced examples of the financial benefits of transferring knowledge within an organization. However, for these benefits to be realized the environment must be conducive to learning (von Krogh, 1998; von Krogh, Kazuo, & Nonka, 2000) and to socialization. Socialization is a key component in the sharing or relay of tacit knowledge (Busch, Richards, & Dampney, 2003; Haldin-Herrgard, 2000; Hauschild et al., 2003; Leonard & Sensiper, 1998) because it serves to expand one's network of resources (Seufert, von Krogh, & Bach, 1999) and is a source of justification of an individual's beliefs (von Krogh et al, …

The Relationship Between Spirituality And Authentic Leadership Behaviors Of Public School Superintendents, Allen M. Sell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As leaders try to affect change and success in organizations the need to consider spirituality in leadership is clear. The increased need for strong leaders in public schools to meet increased accountability to the tax payer has led to extensive research into the variables that contribute to excellent leadership. This assertion may be especially interesting when considering the role of spirituality in public school leadership. This study proposed to identify a relationship between self perceived spirituality and both self and subordinate perceived authentic leadership behaviors in public school leaders.

Thirty superintendents in Western and Central Pennsylvania were given the Spiritual-Well-Being …

Mental Health Care At The Margins: A Critical Ethnography Of Psychological Practice In An Inner City Mental Health Setting, Katy Sampson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Within the past several decades, the field of psychology has attempted to improve psychological services for a greater diversity of people. However, despite these attempts, research continues to document a "gap" when it comes to mental health care services for marginalized populations. Various studies have addressed the issue of this "gap" in mental health care; however, most adhere to positivist assumptions regarding sociocultural aspects of experience, understanding culture and identity as immutable qualities existing within individuals, rather than as an interpersonal phenomenon that is negotiated between and among people and institutions. As a result of these assumptions, many past studies …

Women, Art, And Community: A Proposal For A Non-Profit Pottery Program In Appalachia., Lahla K. Deakins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many Appalachian women are creative individuals who enjoy making and sharing quilts, songs, paintings, poetry, and other art. However, many women in rural areas of Central Appalachia lack access to basic resources because of poverty.

While many agencies help poor women find shelter, clothing, and food, there are few that help them find their creative voices. I assert that women who are given the tools to practice creative expression can overcome the mental oppression of poverty to become self-assured individuals who benefit their communities.

This thesis examines the socioeconomic condition of women in Central Appalachia and the positive impacts of …

Ideological Influence On Higher Education : Progressivism Versus Conservatism., Anthony W. Robinson 1972-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a historical analysis of the role the federal government has had in the in development student aid funding in the modern public four-year higher education system. It begins with a historical overview of the rise of progressivism as a significant animator of the federal government in the twentieth century. It focuses on the creation of the Pell Grant and Stafford Loan student aid vehicles and the effect that had on the creation of the modern middle-class. It then provides a discussion of the political and cultural backlash that was created by the ascendency of conservatism in the …

Predictors Of Critical Thinking As A Component Of An Outcomes Assessment In A Graduate Level School Of Social Work., Tonya Michelle Tucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized the standardized California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) Form 2000 to measure students' pretest and post test critical thinking abilities prior to and upon completion of a critical thinking infused curriculum. In addition, the researcher also tested a predictor model for students' entry level critical thinking skills, as well as two separate predictor models for students' acquired critical thinking skills. The researcher not only tested each of the models using the total scores, but also for the subscales of analytic, inference, evaluation, deductive and inductive. A paired samples t test indicated there were no significant differences between …

A Study Of Current And Former Women In Faculty And Administrative Leadership Positions At East Tennessee State University., George Naholi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study was designed to determine the perceptions about female leadership among female faculty and administrators at East Tennessee State University. Participants were asked about the motivating and prohibiting factors (barriers) that affected their leadership capabilities at the institution. They cited motivating factors that led them to optimal performance. These included family support, mentoring practices, affirmative action, collegial working atmosphere, support from the top leadership, and encouragement from their colleagues. The dissertation was also to investigate how female leaders perceived their leadership roles and the factors that enhanced female leadership and the barriers that hindered female leadership at …

Academic Libraries As Feminine And Feminist Models Of Organization., Marie F. Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Because academic libraries are primarily staffed by women and are relatively autonomous entities in colleges and universities, they offer a unique model of workplace gendering and feminism. This qualitative, ethnographic study examined 3 small college libraries in 3 regions of the United States and explored issues of bureaucracy and gendering in these libraries. Feminist challenges to bureaucracy emerged in the areas of hierarchy, division of labor, competition and collaboration, decision-making, and communication. Feminine practice in the libraries reflected private sphere attitudes toward work (values of community, emotionality, and caring) and an affirmation of feminine roles in the workplace. The organizational …

Improving Screening For Externalizing Behavior Problems In Very Young Children : Applications Of Item Response Theory To Evaluate Instruments In Pediatric Primary Care., Christina Ruth Studts 1971-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Externalizing behavior problems in very young children are associated with an array of negative and costly long-term outcomes. Pediatric primary care is a promising venue for implementing screening practices to improve early identification of this social and public health problem. In this setting, screening requires a brief, easily scored instrument which can detect sub-clinical to clinical levels of the latent construct within the context of early childhood development. Further, items used should perform consistently with children of all sociodemographic backgrounds. This study applied item response theory analyses to investigate the precision, utility, and differential item functioning (DIF) of items measuring …

An Analytical Understanding Of Administrative Practices Minimizing Vicarious Traumatization In Domestic Violence Organizations I, Katharine Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Working within the field of domestic violence can result in the occurrence of vicarious traumatization. The literature supports that collegial support and supervision are effective tools organizations can implement to assist in minimizing vicarious trauma. This study, guided by constructive self development theory and feminist theory, examines whether the level of vicarious trauma is impacted by knowledge base, collegial support, and supervision. Staff within certified shelters in the state of Florida were surveyed using a research designed instrument and the Trauma and Attachment Belief Scale. A total of 112 participants were recruited using the Tailor Design Method of surveying. Findings …

Producing A Measure For Assessing Motivating Career Influencesfor Counselors-In-Training, Tyson Kuch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe an appropriate protocol for developing a psychometrically sound instrument to assess perceived influences motivating graduate students to enter the counseling profession. The self-report, 124-item inventory was administered to a sample of 347 graduate students pursuing counseling as a profession. All participants responded to the inventory anonymously. A factor analysis from responses grouped scale items into six different factors, and helped condense the scale into a shorter, more psychometrically sound instrument by identifying those items with low or ambiguous factor loadings, suitable for removal. A factor analysis also identified those items most relevant …

A Story Only We Can Tell: The Lived Experience Of Black Women Teachers In White Rural Schools, Maria Tucker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A Story Only We Can Tell: The Lived Experience of Black Women Teachers in White Rural Schools captures the stories of five women including the researcher, who teach in rural White school districts. The researcher employed a rigorous, consistent heuristic method for gathering the data. The process began with the researchers' initial engagement with the research topic. The initial engagement was documented through autobiographical writing and self-dialogue. From the self-dialogue emerged the individual depiction of the researchers' story.

The four women (co-researchers) revealed their stories through autobiographies and participating in interviews with the researcher. Once all of the stories were …

The Experience Of Older Men Living Alone: A Phenomenological Perspective, Leslie Susan Yetter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to uncover older men's experience of living alone. This study was pursued because much of the literature reports that older men who live alone face the highest risk of death, mental illness, physical disability, and social isolation in our country. Based upon this literature, nurses appeared to be ignoring the needs of this vulnerable population. Using Giorgi's phenomenological method, 14 men 60 years and older who lived alone were interviewed and asked about their experience living alone. In the data analysis, the themes of self-growth, self-determination, structure, balance and sense of purpose emerged. Essentially, …

The Impact Of Formal Classwide Peer Support Training On The Occurrence Of Initiated And Reciprocal Peer Interactions Of Students, Richard Reardon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research study examined the effects of classwide peer support training on the occurrence of initiated and reciprocal peer interactions of students with significant disabilities in two inclusive physical education classes. An AB research design was used to document changes in the occurrence of initiated and reciprocal peer interactions of students with significant disabilities following the provision of peer support training to all of their classmates. Four students with significant disabilities were observed in the study and baseline and post-intervention data on the occurrence of peer interactions were collected. The peer support training was provided to classes where four students …

How Stigma Affects Information Sharing By Gay Men And Glbt Communities, Kathryn Shephard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how stigma and dialectical tensions affect information sharing by gay men. One specific area that was investigated is the use of interpersonal boundary spanning techniques in managing information related to being gay. The research used a qualitative, interpretive method to gather and analyze data from eleven in-depth interviews. An interview schedule was developed based on the critical incident technique in order to focus the interviews on specific events and direct observation. The questions in the interview covered individuals experiences with sharing their sexual orientation with someone else for the first time, times when they have specifically chosen …

Evolution Of Political Cleavages And Entry Of The Far-Right In Government Coalitions In Italy And Poland, Maxim Chernyshev

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project focuses on a comparative analysis of governing coalitions between conservative and far-right parties in recent years in Italy (1994) and Poland (2005). The aim is to show how the inclusion of the radical right in government coalitions in these countries reflects recent changes in Western and Eastern European party systems through the reformulation of the old and formation of new party cleavages. The focus in the recent literature on personality clashes of party leaders over the distribution of ministry portfolios does not explain the nature of the disagreement between these leaders about key issues of national politics. I …

The Impact Of Video Modeling And Peer Mentoring Of Social Skills For Middle School Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders In In, Christine Ogilvie

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Given the behavioral expectations of students by teachers and peers in middle school inclusive classrooms and characteristics inherent to students with ASD, the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of video modeling and peer mentoring of five critical social skills for inclusion on middle school students with ASD. Specifically, the extent to which the combination of video modeling and peer mentoring of five critical social skills would increase the level of demonstration of these skills in the general education inclusion setting was investigated. Because individuals with ASD exhibit limited social communication skills, those skills necessary especially at …

Life And Debt For Etsu Graduate Students., Laura Nelson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through in-depth interviews with 21 participants, this thesis investigates how graduate students at East Tennessee State University feel about their finances. Although all adults, by necessity, have everyday money concerns, this study explores the unique experiences that post-baccalaureate students have with debt, how they talk about it, and what meanings they attach to student loans in their daily lives. This study is novel in that little research to date has examined how graduate students' perceptions of adulthood are connected to their financial situations and their stage in life. For example, saving money is important to this population mainly because it …

Globalization And Social Work Education : An Initial International Inquiry., Elaine Rushmore Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With an increasing awareness of a global-local reality, social work research and theorizing on globalization is limited but growing. From a multinational perspective, the purpose of this dissertation was to contribute to the emerging professional discourse through (a) an examination of definitions and dimensions of globalization and (b) and an exploration of the impact of globalization on social work education. Perspectives on globalization were collected on a newly designed and translated survey from 46 social work educators from schools and social work in China, Germany, Russia, and the United States of America. Descriptive analysis and the coding of themes were …

Examining The Empirical Impact Of Teacher Pupil Control Ideology On Student Outcomes : The Classroom Perspective., Michael M. Brame

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined a hypothesized relationship among teacher beliefs, teacher behaviors, classroom climate, student engagement, and student outcomes. The researcher used teacher ( N = 6) and student ( N = 12) interviews, observations, and the mining of documents and material culture to collect data in a rural Midwest middle school struggling to meet the requirements of state and federal accountability measures. Humanistic teachers operated in an atmosphere of student empowerment and high levels of student engagement; Custodial teachers operated in an atmosphere of student compliance and low levels of student engagement. Outcomes, (grades, office referrals, and accountability scores) were …

Making Birth Control Acceptable : The Development Of The Twentieth Century Birth Control Movement., Elizabeth Caskey 1983-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of the tactics used by individuals in the development of the twentieth century birth control movement. It focuses on the creation of a national organization that directed the movement throughout the United States. The twentieth century political and economic environment influenced the birth control movement, but key individuals navigated the environment and developed a program of dissemination and education that furthered the cause of birth control. The intention is to show that Sanger and her cohort expanded upon nineteenth century efforts to provide people reproductive control. The twentieth century political and economic environment influenced the …

Development And Validation Of A Scale To Measure Health-Related Socioeconomic Well-Being In Persons With A Cancer Diagnosis., Barbara Anderson Head

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The impact of socioeconomic status on the diagnosis, treatment, survival, and overall quality of life in persons with cancer has been well documented. Yet, many studies overlook the relevance of socioeconomic factors when measuring the impact of cancer care. A multitude of tools exist for the measuring of health-related quality of life (QOL) in oncology, but the majority do not recognize socioeconomic well-being as a relevant domain. The FACT-G, perhaps the most often used measure of QOL in oncology, measures the domains of physical, functional, social/family, and emotional well-being as core measures with optional instruments available to address spiritual well-being …

Mentoring African American Men : A Study Of Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment., Davis Marvin Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a correlational designed study that examined the strength and direction of the relationship between mentoring, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment, of African American men, exclusively in a business setting (N = 364), who were members of the National Black Masters of Business Administration Association (NBMBAA). Approximately 56% of the respondents were affiliated with the association. Participants completed a web-based survey via Zoomerang™, which included Mowday, Steers, and Porter's (1979) Organizational Commitment Scale and Spector's (1988) Job Satisfaction Scale, and employed Dillman's (2000) online survey protocol. This study used hierarchical multiple regression and mediational analysis to analyze the …

The Impact Of Service Delivery Models On Non-Disabled Peers Intent To Include Their Peers With Disabilities, Michael Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In much the same way as the racial integration movement, advocates for students with disabilities (SWD) have cultivated an active and vocal lobby seeking to establish and then implement legal mandates to integrate classrooms in the hope that social acceptance would follow. Through federal mandates such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), conceptually initiated in 1975 and revised in 2004 as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) along with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, these students have a voice to cry out for access to the experiences of work, conversation and play with …

The Effect Of Nutrition Knowledge On Food Choices And Body Mass Index Percentile Rankings Of Elementary School Children: Result, Nancy Ellis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of overweight and obese children has increased dramatically in the United States over the past 20 years and is a symptom of multiple systemic and cultural changes that have significantly influenced alterations in energy intake, energy expenditures, and the energy balance of children across the nation. School-based obesity prevention programs addressing nutrition and healthy eating behaviors within the school environment and cultural context provide a unique opportunity to educate and engage students in healthy food consumption practices. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a three-year elementary school nutrition education program for students in grades kindergarten through fifth using …

Resiliency In Adolescent College Students, Nancy Ahern

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The construct of resilience has gained considerable attention over the last four decades since researchers observed that children and youth could cope and adapt in spite of adversity. Resilience involves a dynamic process involving an interaction between both risk and protective processes, internal and external to the individual, that can modify the effects of an adverse life event. Adolescence is considered to be a period of vulnerability for most individuals as they often partake in high risk behaviors. Further, those individuals who are in their early college years are faced with the developmental challenges of this life phase which can …